'It's likely' - Newcastle United set to activate midfielder clause as CEO speaks out

Standard Liege CEO Pierre Locht says it's likely Isaac Hayden will return to Newcastle United this month.

The 28-year-old joined Liege in September after moves to Luton Town and Sheffield Wednesday fell through during the final week of the summer transfer window.

Hayden has gone on to make 11 appearances in Belgium but has missed four of the last five matches. According to the Daily Telegraph, the Magpies have the option to recall the former Arsenal man amid interest from Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday, Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle. And Locht admits that is the most likely scenario.

“It’s likely that he won’t come back, yes," Locht told Belgian outlet La Derniere Heure (as relayed by Sport Witness). "We wanted a player who brought an immediate superior quality to the team. Isaac had a lot of experience in the Premier League. He’s a true number six, capable of settling the game, a stable element.

"But, in the image of the team, he had some good games but was then too inconsistent.”

After returning from last season's loan spell at Norwich City, Hayden trained away from Eddie Howe’s first-team over the summer before moving to Belgium.

Newcastle are considering signing a midfielder in January after losing Sandro Tonali until 2024. Hayden, however, won't be handed a second chance on Tyneside, despite being under contract until 2026.

Hayden was signed by Rafa Benitez in 2016 and in his first season helped Newcastle win the Championship title.

In total, he has made 171 appearances for United, though he last featured in December 2021 after being left out of the 25-man squad for the second half of the 21-22 campaign.